U.S. State Department Sponsored International Border Security Training for Turkmenistan's Front-line Officers

PAS No 287; July 21, 2010

A Turkmen officer receives hands-on training on the use of vehicle inspection equipment

Ashgabat, July 21, 2010 – The U.S. State Department's Export Control and Related Border Security Program sponsored a five-day training course entitled "Interdict/RADACAD (Radiation Academy) International Border Security Training" for five officers from Turkmenistan, two from the State Customs Service and three from the State Border Service.  The training course was conducted by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training Center in Richland, Washington State, USA from June 28 – July 2, 2010.

The purpose of the training was to strengthen the border-enforcement officials’ abilities in detecting, identifying, interdicting, and investigating all aspects of smuggling related to the proliferation and diversion of materials associated with nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their related missile delivery systems. The course also covered many subjects such as the threat of weapons of mass destruction, missile systems, types of radioactive materials, their use and transport, radiological weapons and others.  Participants received hands-on training on the use of personal radiation dosimeters, specialized inspection equipment, survey meters, and Radiation Isotope Identification Devices. 
           
International Border Security Training provided an opportunity both for participants and instructors to share experiences and gain from each other’s knowledge.

The Export Control and Related Border Security Program in Turkmenistan, a program of the United States Department of State, focuses on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, strategic trade controls, and border security.